His impact with Somerset has reinforced his reputation as a roving T20 gun but Chris Gayle still considers himself to be the king of all formats
Andrew Miller11-Jun-20152:28
‘I’m the king of all formats’ – Gayle
Chris Gayle may have taken the county circuit by storm in his hard-hitting introduction to the NatWest T20 Blast, but home remains where the heart is for a man who yearns for another chance to represent West Indies on the international stage.With scores of 92, 151 not out and 85 not out in his three appearances to date for Somerset, Gayle has amassed 328 runs for once out, from 170 balls and with a remarkable 29 sixes – almost three times the tally of any other player in the competition.Yet, with a Test series currently underway between West Indies and Australia in the Caribbean, Gayle cannot help but have half an eye on the fortunes of his team, for whom he scored an ODI career-best 215 against Zimbabwe in the recent World Cup.”I’d love to play a few more international games to be honest with you,” Gayle told ESPNcricinfo. “But we’ll have to wait and see. It’s tough, the travelling is very hectic, sometimes you have to know when you’ve reached the limit in life, sometimes you have to draw the line.”But I will still push to play international cricket, when I go back home I will have a discussion with the coach and maybe with the board, so that we can work out Chris Gayle’s future, to see if they are still interested. I am still interested so I’ll look forward to that and see how best it can work out.”Chris Gayle has made a huge impact in his brief stint with Somerset•PA PhotosThroughout his stint with Somerset, Gayle has played with the number 333 on his back, a tribute to his highest Test score against Sri Lanka in 2010.”People all say Chris is the king of T20, Chris is the this and that of T20, I am the king of Test cricket too,” he says. “I scored two triple centuries. And 21 ODI centuries. So I’m the king of something. The king of all formats.”A Test match is fantastic,” he adds. “It’s a test of character but the entertainment part of cricket is phenomenal. T20 has actually brought new cricket fans into the game, so we have to continue with this as well so that people who didn’t watch can eventually get to watch Test cricket.”West Indies are in the middle of a Test series against Australia, so fingers crossed some youngsters get some opportunities and I hope they make the best use of it, we definitely have to look to the future sometimes.”Gayle’s own future seems firmly mapped out as a Twenty20 gun for hire and the reception he has received in England after his long-awaited debut in England’s competition has confirmed his status as one of the iconic players of his age.He has now scored 15 centuries in all Twenty20 competitions – the next most prolific is New Zealand’s captain, Brendon McCullum, with six – and has featured in domestic tournaments in seven different countries.”It’s good to travel the world and share different dressing rooms with different players over the world,” he says. “you learn more about your culture and you make new friends, you gain more fans around the world as well. It’s been brilliant for me, it’s fantastic, and I’ve got a century for, if not all, then most of these teams. It’s great to achieve such things, but I never know which tournament is coming up next.”Few players are better placed to assess the merits of England’s revamped Twenty20 competition, but Gayle’s initial verdict is that the quality falls a long way short of the standards he has encountered in the IPL, as well as Australia and the Caribbean.”There’s no doubt there’s a big gap between other leagues compared to IPL,” he says. “IPL is definitely No. 1, but the Caribbean Premier League is fantastic too and [Australia’s] Big Bash is up there as well. Those three leagues are the top leagues.”His opinion of England, meanwhile, is coloured by the size of the venues he has so far encountered, with his initial matches taking place on two of the country’s smaller grounds at Chelmsford and Taunton, where one of his sixes landed in the nearby River Tone.”Yeah, those two grounds are a bit small to be honest with you,” he says. “Especially Somerset, with a good track out there as well, so that’s even better. You can clear the boundary easily but anything can happen in cricket, you can get one and nick off early. When you do get a chance to score some runs you try and make the best use of it.”
“I’m looking forward to the CPL, that’s the party tournament. You can have a drink before and after the game – but, kids, don’t try this at home”
Gayle’s determination to make the most of time in the middle was exemplified in his opening fixture against Essex, when his acclimatisation to the conditions meant he was restricted to five singles in the first five overs of Somerset’s run chase. However, he eventually opened his shoulders to set up a last-ball victory.”I was trying to get a rhythm, but it just didn’t happen so at the same time I said I’m not going to panic, I know that if I bat a bit deeper I should be able to play catch-up and get it back in the bag, and that’s what happened. It was my first game, I hadn’t had a net session, I struggled to get a feel for the conditions so it was just experience.””It’s a mind thing,” he adds. “You have to prepare yourself mentally for these sort of situations. I knew it was going to be tough here, I knew it was going to be cold as well, so that’s always a trouble from a West Indian point of view. But I stuck to the task and got across the line.”After all three of his starring roles, Gayle took time to sign autographs and take photographs with hundreds of fans who thronged to meet the superstar in their midst.”The fans were fantastic in both games,” he says. “The first game was an away game but the fans were actually cheering for Chris Gayle which was very pleasing to see, and I’m glad I gave them something to cheer about. In England you always get that sort of reception, they like to make you welcome and feel at home.”Gayle’s stint in England will be over all too soon, however – a match sooner than expected, too – with his thoughts set to turn to the Caribbean Premier League in July and August.”I’m definitely looking forward to the CPL, that’s the party tournament,” he says. “You can have a drink before and after the game – kids, don’t try this at home – but that’s the main objective of CPL, to have fun.”The overseas guys come to the Caribbean, they go to the beach, have fun, chill, have a bit of rum, and then on the field we play hard cricket because we all want to win the tournament. It’s only going to get bigger and better, the buzz is going off, it’s the third year, looking forward to getting back home and getting into it.”For the second year running, one of the overseas players will be Kevin Pietersen, surplus to requirements for England’s Ashes summer despite a remarkable statement of form with a career-best 355 not out against Leicestershire last month. And Gayle had a personal message for his friend and foe.”KP, England don’t want you? Okay, come to the CPL. We’ll look after you there, if your own don’t want you, we’ll take you, we’ll accept you with both hands. You play for St Lucia Zouks, entertain the fans there, and it’ll be a cracker.”